Apple's 'Do Not Track' feature goes on Safari

Never eat yellow snow

The next version of Apple's Safari browser will reportedly come loaded with a "Do Not Track" feature that Mozilla has already debuted in Firefox.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Apple plans to slot the tool into its latest Safari iteration when it releases its forthcoming Mac OS X 10.7, aka Lion, operating system.

Apparently the tool will be similar to Mozilla's HTTP header, which gives web surfers the option of shielding themselves from ad networks that attempt to track their web behavior.

Firefox 4 browser users have the option of turning on the DNT header, and then it's up to websites and ad networks to actually recognise it.

Both Google and Microsoft have rolled out their own takes on the do-not-track mechanisms. However, Google is arguably just playing ball with US regulators by offering a Chrome extension in its browser that lets its users opt out of tracking cookies from multiple ad networks (of which Google is of course one).

The US Federal Trade Commission has requested a single mechanism that makes it easy for web surfers to be unhindered by behavioural ad targeting. ®